With this record Ciaran Smith (along with Ruadhan O Meara and Ronan Jackson) bursts from the ‘nice boy with a bedroom studio’ label, to the full-blown crazy-as-a-bastard, epic-pop-mastermind category. I knew all those bedroom geeks would eventually up the standard of Irish record production. And with White Wonder’s understated vocals, detailed and swirling arrangements, and general vibe of well-being, Ciaran Smith and co. have managed to create something warm, inviting and altogether bloody good. It blends indie-pop quirkery (like the Flaming Lips or Grandaddy) with electronic gimmickry (like Autamata or Beyoncé) and still manages to sound completely organic. In fact songs like ‘Lost In The Forrest’ and ‘Anxious’ should really be indie classics. Maybe they will...
In fact it’s all so good it inspires me to get carried away with meaningless journalistic metaphors (which he can if he wishes quote on press releases!). Ahem. White Wonder is the sound of shoegazing music being bet to death by Phil Spector after a bout of lovemaking in a backstreet sauna. Or White Wonder is the sound of a robotic stag and a saddened unicorn fighting a Korg MS20 in the night sky while a baby laughs and nuns weep for us all. Or... White Wonder is the exact, polar opposite of Hitler.
Another spectacular point about all this is that when the epic arrangements are overlaid with Smith’s unassuming unflashy vocal style, it can be a strange correlation. Sometimes his voice is so understated it’s like he doesn’t know his album is this good. But that can’t be right. White Wonder is very, very good indeed, and judging by the Mike Ahern-designed album cover, which features Ciaran in a Roman army helmet, waving a sword and surrounded by swans, on some level Mr.Crayonsmith knows that. Good on him.
Key Track: ‘Lost In The Forrest’